Mass Effect: Andromeda: BioWare on PS4 Pro, Scorpio and the likelihood of a Switch release

Speaking with Stevivor, BioWare’s Michael Gamble talked Mass Effect: Andromedaon current-gen systems, its PS4 Pro upgrades and the likelihood of the title on Microsoft’s Project Scorpio and Nintendo’s Switch.

This is the first Mass Effect title on current-gen consoles, and Gamble says players should expect myriad improvements.

“A perfect example of [current-gen enhancements] is in the galaxy map,” Gamble began. “If you recall in the original trilogy your navigation through the galaxy map was on a 2D plane. You kind of move your Normandy to and fro.

“In Andromeda, that’s totally different. You look up the windscreen of the Tempest, and space is rendered in front of you 180 degrees. If you go to the back of the Tempest, you’ll see that the star that’s behind the ship is actually there, reflecting light beautifully on the conference room in the Tempest. Then, as you fly to a different area with a black hole, you see that effects things differently. I’m kind of nerding out visually on it, but next-gen allows us to do all that kind of stuff, and do really cool things that, for players who care about that stuff, it’s all technically correct.

“It allows us to do amazing alien worlds with two suns, and weird blue moons, and all sorts of cool stuff. Yeah, I mean, hopefully when you guys play, you’ll agree.”

Gamble wouldn’t specify exactly what will be improved in the PS4 Pro version of the title.

“In the world of PS Pro, we do similar things where we say, ‘Okay, what are the strengths of the console, and how can we optimise to make that experience best for players?’ In terms of PS Pro, we’ll probably talk more technical about that in January or February,” he continued.

While enhancements will be made for Project Scorpio, Microsoft’s PS4 Pro competitor, due in late 2017, Gamble was even more tight-lipped.

“For Scorpio, we have absolutely no plans right now,” he said. “You never know what’ll happen after that.”

Gamble also shot down plans for a version of Andromeda on Nintendo’s hybrid console, the Switch.

“Yeah, not right now, no,” he said. “We’re not planning on it. If the Switch launches and everyone’s just yammering for Mass Effect, who knows.

“We never want to close doors like that.”

Mass Effect: Andromeda heads to Windows PC, Xbox One and PS4 next year. Expect more from Gamble in the coming days.